10. Wounds

“Okay. Before I drink anythingI have something that I need to do.” Sam explained while walking out of the tent.

“HEY!? What are you doing? Why are you leaving?”

“I am leaving because I need to get something out of my truck. That is what I need to do.”“Okay. Well, why do you need to go to your truck?”

“I need to do something.”

“Okay. Well, hurry up, or I am going to start without you, and you will miss all of the fun.”

“I will definitely try to hurry up then. I will be back in about five minutes.” Sam said, quickly running out of the tent and towards his truck.

Philippe counted to thirty before he decided to follow Sam back to his truck. When he approached Sam’s truck, he hid behind a tree and peered around it only to find something that he never thought he’d see, ever in his life. Philippe sat there, behind the tree, and watched as Sam cleaned his wound with wipes and hand sanitizer. When Sam winced and hissed from the pain Phillipe walked out from behind the tree.

“Hey, Sam. Do you need some help?”

“I said that I would be back in about five minutes! Why did you follow me?!?!”

“I am SO sorry that I was worried about you because you suddenly, out of the blue, said that you had to get something out of your truck. For all, I know you could have been getting a weapon to shoot me! So, I did the smart thing and followed you. Why didn’t you want me to see your wound?”

“ I didn’t want you to see it because for two reasons. One because I don’t need your sympathy, and two, because I didn’t want you to see it and ask questions.”

Well, it is too late for that. What happened, and if you want to have fun tonight then you will NOT lie. At all. So, what are you waiting for? Spill it.”

“Okay, okay. Well, what happened was that I had arrived in a small town in a different state, and I was getting ready to get a motel to stay in for a little while when I was shoved up against my truck. I was getting robbed by a homeless man, and I didn’t have any cash on me, so he stabbed me in the stomach. If it weren’t for Izzy, then I would have died. She saved my life, and I was in the hospital for close to a week before I was released. I went over to her place to hang out, but I told her that I was leaving in a few days. We got into an argument, so I packed up and left that night instead. I haven’t contacted her since.”“Wow. You were stabbed by a homeless man? That must suck. Why didn’t you fight back?”

“I don’t know how to fight. I always received the beatings. I never gave any. That was part of the reason that I left so that I could take some classes in a different state.”

“I’m pretty good at fighting, and I am also pretty good at defense. I could teach you some of the things that I know.”

“I guess. I don’t want to intrude or anything. You sure that it won’t be any trouble?”

“I am sure. Also, in turn for the lessons, you could help out around here. You know, help wash things, keep things tidy, and maybe you could go into town for me to buy the necessities?” Philippe suggested as a fair trade.

“Seems fair to me. How often do you make the runs into town? When and what do you want me to clean up around here?” Sam asked accepting the trade.

“I make the run into town whenever I need some stuff, and when I have the money to do it. You can clean up whenever it gets too messy to handle. I just cleaned so you shouldn’t have to clean for a while.”

“Okay. Well, since you’re here. Would you help me wrap this?” Sam asked while taking out and holding up some gauze, medical tape, and a cloth wrap.

“Um, yeah, I guess,” Philippe answered. Sam cut and taped the gauze to his stomach. Philippe took the wrap from Sam, as he was struggling to get it started, and started wrapping it along his wound. Within a few minutes, the wrap was tightly wrapped around Sam's torso.

“Thanks. It is kind of hard to do by myself sometimes because if I stretch too much to on that side, it feels like I am splitting it open again.” Sam said whilst gesturing towards the wound on his stomach.

“Okay… Can we go back to the tent now?” Sam asked, wondering why Philippe all of a sudden started blushing.

“U-u-um y-yeah. Let’s go. I’m ready to party!”Philippe said while acting like nothing was going through his mind about Sam.

“Good. I am ready to try some whiskey!” Sam said excitedly, all the while wondering what was going through Philippe’s mind as of that moment.

“Okay!” Phillipe exclaimed, leading Sam back to the tents. Does Sam know that Phillipe likes him? Does he know how he truly feels?

They make it to the tent shortly afterward. Phillipe, being careful not to hit Sam in the stomach, slid by him and reached for the cups. He began pouring the drink, and handed two to Sam and took two for himself.

“AH! It burns going down. I thought that alcohol is supposed to be fun?”

“Yeah, but you are supposed to take a drink of whiskey, then a drink of coke, and swallow it all at once. Sorry, guess that I should have explained it better to you.” Phillipe says holding back a chuckle.

"It's okay. Just, a little warning next time will be very helpful." Sam says grinning widely.

"Sure. No problem. Watch what I do, then you do it. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Why not. How bad could it be?" Sam asked Phillipe rhetorically. Phillipe took a drink of his whiskey then took a drink of his coke and swallowed it all together.

"That's how it's done," Phillipe said while Sam copied his movements.

"You're right. It is a lot better when you-" Sam began to say before he was cut off by the ringing of a cell phone.

"Is that you phone?" Phillipe asked, a little disappointed that someone would call Sam right now, as they began to have some fun.

"Yes. Sadly, it is. Hang on. Let me answer it, then we can have some fun finally." Sam told Phillipe, already reaching to grab his phone out of his pocket. He lifted it to his ear, then he nearly dropped the phone.

"What? Who is it?"Phillipe asked curiously.

"It-i-it's about my father...I don't know who it is, though,"Sam replied, shaking a little,"This is the first time that anyone, who knew me, has tried to contact me since my father kicked me out."